Abstract:

Higher education teachers are increasingly resorting to active learning methods and one such form of learning is the cultural and educational space of the museum, which has been used as an educational resource since ancient times. According to the International Council of Museums, "a museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, preserves, research, transfers and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and recreation.

In Russia, the Strategy for the Development of Museum Activity until 2030, which was developed by the country's Union of Museums, states that one of the main tasks facing museums is "creating the conditions for student and professional scientific associations to work on the basis of museums" and "providing museum research activities with qualified scientific personnel and stimulating the influx of young scientists into museum science".

At the same time, according to the Federal State Educational Standard of Higher Education in the field of History, the undergraduate student should be "capable of perceiving the intercultural diversity of society in socio-historical, ethical and philosophical contexts" and "implement the popularisation of historical knowledge in educational organisations and public environment". The Master's student should be "capable of analysing and taking into account the diversity of cultures in the process of intercultural interaction" and "develop and implement cultural and educational projects and promote professional knowledge".

Spanish legislation also recognises the important educational role of museums. Thus, Law No. 4/2003 of 26.03.2003. "On the Museums of the Balearic Islands" states that one of the main tasks of museums is to "periodically organize exhibitions and scientific, training and educational activities" and to "develop educational didactic activities and cultural awareness-raising and dissemination activities based on their collections".

Cooperation between universities and museums is particularly important in the context of educational programmes dedicated to the preservation and study of cultural heritage. For example, the University of the Balearic Islands runs a master's programme entitled "Cultural Heritage: Research and Management", in collaboration with the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, in which students acquire competencies applicable to the protection of cultural heritage, which cannot be done without the participation of local museums, such as the Palma History Museum or the Manacor History Museum, in the educational process.

That is, helping history students, both at universities in Russia and Spain, to master universal and general professional competences is precisely what a museum, whose pedagogical and educational mission has gone beyond the classical format of its functioning, can do: professional additional courses, online schools, training with employers, Internet platforms are created on the basis of museums.

Also, the integration of museums into higher education is necessary because the educational experience taking place outside the classroom not only contributes to improving the cultural level of students, but also tends to develop the strategic competence of improving learning by abandoning a fixed and limited programme and encouraging the autonomy of learners in the acquisition of knowledge.

Keywords:

Educational resource, cultural heritage, history, museum, Russia, Spain.